


Teach Me How to Move On

by dickshapedclouds



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brutal Murder, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Confused Lance (Voltron), Ghost Lance (Voltron), Hurt Lance (Voltron), Murder, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, References to ABBA, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Burn, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Tags Are Hard, Tags Contain Spoilers, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-01-26 16:27:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21377074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dickshapedclouds/pseuds/dickshapedclouds
Summary: Lance is an angry spirit and cannot move on like his family. He's stuck within his decrepit house to watch people move in and out. He needs to solve his unfinished business.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt/Romelle
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

20 some-odd years ago, the McClain family was brutally murdered within their home in Arizona. Lance was left the last alive, forced to watch his family be tortured and eventually killed. That is why can't move on.

The blood soaked floor and sounds of gunshots and pleading are engrained within his mind. His mother, father, siblings, and niece and nephew's bodies on the ground have haunted him far longer than he has haunted this home.

For years he's been keeping people out. It took forever for him to be able to move objects and eventually, become a full-bodied apparition. A lot of energy was sapped from him when he did this though, so it was rare for him to try.

Pissed was an understatement when he noticed moving trucks. A real estate agent hadn't even come to show the person a tour, so why the hell was someone moving in?!

Lance could feel himself buzzing with angry energy, he was ready to slam doors and scare the shit out of whoever was moving in.

Keys jingle and push into the lock as the door knob turns. It pushes open and light floods the living room, dust flying throughout the house.

"You're sure there isnt asbestos in this house?" A mans voice is heard with a laugh.

Lance scoffs to himself, obviously not heard by the two people stepping into _his _home.

"I'm sure, Takashi. Nothing a little cleaning won't help." Another man says, his hair is pulled in a tight bun.

The anger was consuming Lance's being as he watched the two invade his space with boxes and furniture. How dare they desecrate his home with their presence?

He slams the front door as they try and leave to bring in more boxes. Startled, the two men jump and laugh it off as being a draft as they open the door back up.

"So do you know when Romelle is gonna bring Kosmo?" The larger man who Lance now knows as Takashi asks the smaller male.

"She said she's on her way with him and Pidge."

What the hell kind of names were those? Who else was coming into his space?

Lance knocks over a box that has "fragile" scrawled out on it. Glass is heard shattering, the two look at the spilled contents of the busted box.

"God dammit." The smaller of the two groans.

"I told you not to stack them so high, Keith."

"Shut the hell up. Where's the broom? I saw you bring it in." Keith growls.

"Kitchen maybe?"

Lance heard another car pull up and seconds later a dog bounds in with two other people.

_Oh hell no_

Lance thinks to himself, staring down at the dog who stares right back at him. Its rigid and its teeth are bared as it growls.

"Cut it out, Kosmo." A new voice grunts.

"I thought that was you who growled, Pidge." Another voice pipes up, it's an energetic female.

"Oh shut up, Romelle." The smaller, Lance dubs as a child named after a bird, grumbles.

"Don't be fucking rude." Keith says in an over exaggerated attempt at a female as he sweeps at the shards of glass.

The group laughs and Lance simply stares. How would they feel if someone invaded their home? Probably not very good, so why were they doing it?

The group chats idly and begins unboxing things. Placing items where the furniture Lance's family once had sat. It pissed him off seeing his home become like this.

He needed more energy if he was going to reall scare them. So he waits and charges.

"Anyone else's phone dying really fast?" Pidge asks, shoving a cord into the socket.

_Since when do phones look like _ _ **that? ** _

Lance asked himself, hovering over her. Pidge shudders and places the phone down before sitting back down on the couch.

"Yeah, mine is too." Keith mutters, pressing the button on the side to turn the device back off.

"Will Hunk and Allura be coming too?" Shiro asks, taking a seat on the bench by the large bay window.

_More people?!_

"Allura said she would stay for dinner, but go home afterwards." Romelle says, idly twisting her hair between her fingers.

"Same with Hunk." Pidge mutters.

Lance groans, why were there so many people here. He needed more energy _now. _Even sapping off their phones wasnt helping.

A bang comes from the kitchen as Keith tries to put plates and pans up.

"You okay?" Shiro calls from the living room.

"Yup!" Keith shouts back.

Honestly the living room wasnt even considered the living room to Lance. I mean why would it be when under that fresh carpet was bloodied wood? The same with his bedroom from where he was cut and dragged.

He didnt dare let any construction worker or remodeler in his room. So it hadnt been touched in years.

"Why don't you guys go ahead and pick your rooms?" Keith suggests, dusting his hands off on his pants as he appears in the threshold.

"Oh- good idea!" Pidge says.

Lance sweats, well, metaphorically sweats. He floats up the stairs and through the wall into his bedroom. He releases enough energy to stand against his door.

"Shiro! This one wont open, come help!" Pidge yells.

Lance groans, not heard by the living. He summons more energy, his body fizzling between apparent and gone.

"Hinges are probably stuck, just pick another room." Shiro says after trying to open it.

Lance slides down the door as his body dissipates. He pants and closes his eyes, recharging in the mid-realm wouldn't hurt for a minute.

It wasnt a minute.

When he awakes again he can hear footsteps outside of his door and they stop right then and there.

The door makes a long creak and Lance breaks as Keith looks at his room.

"Woah...Guys! Come look at this!"

Lance grows angry, he's invading his personal space. Disregarding his safety and everything.

As the rest come up the stairs Lance has gotten enough energy to slam the door shut and slam his desk against it.

"What the _fuck _was that?" Romelle blinks blankly at the door.

"I think we might have a ghost." Pidge mutters, barely containing their excitement.

"Yeah....maybe." Keith blinks, staring at where the dusty blue room was open to him.


	2. Chapter 2

"We should see what happened, y'know since there's something here." Pidge suggests, her laptop sat upon her blanketed lap.

"Won't that make it angry?" Romelle asks, sitting criss-cross on the couch next to Pidge.

"Guess we'll see." Keith mutters, leaning over the back of the couch to look at the laptop.

Shiro is doing the same, hands planted firmly next to Keith's.

"Alright.."

The group is quiet as Pidge quickly taps in the address. At first only listings for the house pop up, but they eventually find an article.

"Family of 10 Found Dead in Arizona Home. Its dated December 24th, 1999." Pidge says.

"Jesus..Right before Christmas?" Keith mutters, swallowing hard.

Before Pidge has the chance to scroll through more of the article, the screen turns to static and then black. They all stare blankly at it.

"Are you fucking serious?" Pidge groans, slamming the laptop shut.

She tosses it to the side of her, it lands against a pillow on the couch.

Lance lets out a breath, happy they didn't get to see the rest of it. That article is filled of nothing but lies.

He's heard the whole thing read so many times and it's all bullshit. How could anyone believe it? How could they leave his case unsolved?

It was a Christmas nightmare! A family brutally murdered Christmas eve in their own home?! How dare someone rip that away? How dare someone rip family away from one another and make them watch as they tortured each person?

It was sick.

"We could try on our phones?" Keith suggests.

"I don't think we should. Clearly whatever is here doesn't want us to see it, I think we should respect that." Shiro says.

_Well he's clearly decent. _

"Yeah, I'm with Shiro, Keith. I don't really want my phone to do the same." Pidge mutters.

"Allura said she is on her way with Hunk." Romelle smiles.

"Should we tell them?" Keith asks.

"Definitely not, Hunk won't even step foot in here if he knows."

_Won't step foot huh? Guess Lancey Lance will have to do a little frightening._

And he can't do it. Lance cannot scare this absolute teddy bear of a man. Like seriously Lance thinks he'll die again if he does. That and once he reaches the afterlife his mami will throw her chancla at him until he's truly gone.

"Hunk, you beautiful man, I am in love with you." Keith says through a mouthful of whatever the hell he cooked.

Lance honestly couldnt blame him, it looked delicious.

"I- aha- thank you Keith." Hunk blushes, smiling widely.

"You better not try to steal him from me, Keith." Allura teases, leaning into her boyfriend.

"I won't." Keith laughs.

"I might." Shiro winks, sending the whole group into a fit of giggles.

"I mean can you blame me? He truly lives up to his name!" Shiro says once its calmed down.

Which makes them laugh again.

Lance was bored and simmering with anger. He missed sitting down at the dinner table to eat with his family. Watching these people come in and make this place their own hurt him.

Watching his home be remodeled and redecorated. Watching the blood stained wood be removed only to reveal stained concrete that got covered up with beautiful white carpet.

The bloodied furniture, the gunshots in the walls, the broken stair from when he was thrown down them. Everything that made it his home was ruined by what they did.

The lights flickered as his anger grew, he screams and one busts. A high pitched squeal sounds through the barrier of living and the state of being.

"What the hell was that?" Hunk's eyes widen.

Lance slams various objects, growing angrier with every second that inched along the clock. He could vaguely feel tears running down his cheeks as he wreaks havoc all the way to his bedroom.

He collapses on the bed with a weak whimper as he fades into the nothingness.

"OH SO YOU HAVE A GHOST AND YOU DIDN'T BOTHER TO INFORM ME BEFORE HAND?!" Hunk shouts, shaking like a damn leaf.

"It it makes you feel better, it hasn't injured any of us." Romelle says.

"Nope- uh uh- Y'all can deal with that shit on your own, I am leaving." Hunk grabs the car keys and heads to the door, Allura follows suit.

"I'm sorry guys, we'll chat soon. Okay? Good luck with your spirit." Allura smiles, Hunk ushering her out the door.

Shiro, Pidge, Romelle, and Keith all sit at the dinner table, frankly shocked at the spirits outburst.

"We should really try to-"

"_No" _Shiro says sternly.

"Why not? I mean it's clearly stuck here, we could probably help it!" Pidge says, not budging on the fact she wants to communicate.

"No, Pidge, not until we know what we're dealing with." Keith mutters, sure he'd love to communicate with what was here, but it just didnt seem right.

"You too Keith?!" Pidge says flabbergasted.

"I'm with Shiro and Keith." Romelle mumbles.

"Ro'!" Pidge pouts, giving her girlfriend puppy dog eyes.

"I'm sorry pid'pid' it just doesn't feel right to me."

"I'm gonna go see if I cant get into the room again. Figure out if I need to sleep on the couch or not." Keith mutters, heading towards the stairs.

He has the urge to skip the middle stair, shaking it off as a rush to see what's in the room. It opens easily, the desk that had been pushed is back in its rightful place.

Blood is the first thing Keith sees on the floor. He swallows hard, walking around the drag marks. If he looks close enough there are indents of fingernail meaning this person was hanging on for dear life.

He shudders and steps towards the window, pulling the blue curtains open, sun filtering through the window.

There's a boombox sat on the windowsill, he smiles and runs his finger through the heavy amount of dust. He presses on the play button and something unfamiliar plays.

"WHO'S LISTENING TO ABBA?!" Pidge shouts.

Keith stops the cassette and pads over to the desk. There's not really anything on it, he grabs ahold of the knob to open a drawer and a cold chill waves over him.

"Sorry- uh...listen, I don't know if you can like hear me or whatever, but if you need some time to get used to someone living here again I can sleep on the couch. I was just scoping out what could possibly be my room? Like if it's the whole thing you don't want it changed, we can keep it this way." Keith felt sorta dumb talking to the air, but he felt the chill subside.

Lance furrows his brows, someone trying to communicate without bugging him about his death? Honestly unheard of. He wished he could communicate back, tell these people to fuck off so he could be alone.

"But um, I'm Keith. We could be cool roommates or whatever. Tap once if that sounds okay and twice if not."

Lance hesitates. Why did he hesitate?   
He knocks on the wood of his desk twice and Keith nods.

"Gotcha, privacy. You gotta let me in here some time though, can't sleep on the couch forever. I'll leave you be." Keith mutters, he closes the door behind him and heads back down the stairs.

"How'd it go?" Shiro asks.

"It doesn't want me in its room right now. We sorta communicated, short, but got the point across."

"Oh so Keith can communicate, but I can't!" Pidge pouts.

"It's okay sweetheart, we can communicate with each other." Romelle presses a kiss to the angry gremlin's forehead.

Pidge grumbles but melts into the touch.

"So you sleeping in here?" Shiro asks.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Keith smiles, taking a seat on the couch.

"Whatever you say." Shiro laughs, stretching with a yawn.

"Pidge and I are going to head to our rooms, I hope you sleep well, Keith." Romelle smiles, taking Pidge's hand.

"You too Ro'. You gonna bail on me too old man?" Keith snickers at Shiro.

"Yeah, I think I might. I've got work tomorrow, I'll stay up with you and the ghost some other time kiddo." Shiro snorts, rustling Keith's hair before he heads off to his room.

And Keith is left alone.

Well...

Not alone. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance begins to change?

This would be the first time Lance dreamed since he died. Floating aimlessly in the void where spirits lie, vivid images play behind his eyes.

He could feel himself being thrown out of bed and dragged towards the stairs. His fingernails being ripped out from where he had them pressed into the wood, it hurt, but not as much as what would come next.

The masked figure throws him down the stairs, a loud crack sounding from it breaking. He groans and tries to crawl away from the person slowly coming down the stairs, but he's met with another person.

He tries his hardest to scramble away, but he lays eyes on his family and loses hope. The person wraps rope tight around his hands and legs, bounding him to their heavy coffee table.

"Please let the children live!" His mom cries out, struggling against her bonds.

"Just take whatever you want!" His dad was legitimately crying, he hadn't ever seen him cry.

"Shut the hell up!" The stranger says before hitting both of them with the butt of their gun.

His siblings are crying hard, niece and nephew crying as well and horrified.

"Papi what's going on?" His nephew cries, struggling to get to Luis.

"Shh, Silvio. It's okay." Luis smiles through his tears, putting on a brave front for his kids.

"Now, listen up, if anyone screams, they die." A gruff, but feminine voice says.

How many people were here?

Lance looks around, 4 people. A larger bulkier body and 3 feminine looking ones.

"You're going to wait quietly until our boss gets here and we are gonna have our fun. Starting with you." A feminine voice says, grabbing Rachel.

She yelps, falling against their body. She thrashes and stop when a knife touches her throat.

"Stop moving or I will kill you now."

Rachel breathes heavily, shaking and sobbing.

"Jesus, do we gotta gag you?!" The bulkier one says.

Rachel swallows hard, laying still. The knife traces her face and digs into her cheek. She barely suppresses a scream, another cut.

It goes on until she's barely hanging on to life. She's panting and crying, looking at their parents.

"I love you mami, papi." She whispers as the knife plunges into her chest.

Lance gasps as he wakes as if he were the one stabbed. He's floating in the living room, right where Rachel was laying.

He rapidly taps on the floor, Keith perking up at it.

"Hello?" He furrows his eyebrows, blanket wrapped tight around his frame.

"Right...cant really respond. Same as earlier? Two for yes one for no?"

Lance taps twice, jesus he didn't even have a heartbeat anymore but he could feel his pulse in his throat.

"Are you...are you okay?" Keith asks, leaning forward as if that would help see Lance.

One tap.

"Oh. I- I'm sorry. Is there a way I can help?"

Two taps.

How in the hell was he supposed to know what to do?

"I- how?"

Lance pounds against the floor. Being dead was so frustrating. He wanted to cry, to rip his hair out and scream.

He wanted Keith to hear him.

He summons a bit of energy, Keith's phone turning on.

"My phone?" Keith's eyebrows furrow.

Two taps.

Keith unlocks it and looks at the screen. Now what?

"I- do I need to look something up?"

Two more taps.

"The article."

Lance hesitates before tapping twice again.

"Are you sure?"

Two more hesitant taps.

Keith breathes deeply before searching it up.

"Family of 10 found dead in home." Keith starts out, scrolling down the article to read.

"ID and dental records show Camilla, Mateo, Marco, Lance, Luis, Veronica, Rachel, Nadia, and Silvio McClain possibly killed in suburban home in Arizona on December 24th."

Keith pauses and bites his lip.

"So you were murdered?"

Tap tap.

"Was it murder suicide? Like one of your family members?"

Tap.

"No..okay. I'll read on."

"It's believed to be a murder suicide case, but this is only speculation. Well we just covered that..."

Keith pauses again.

Lance could feel himself growing angry, he wanted to find who killed his family so he could move on.

"Youngest daughter, Rachel, was found with lacerations all over her body. The fatal wound proved to be a knife wound to the heart. Is this true?"

Tap.

Lance could feel the knife in his chest from the dream.

"I can stop if you-"

Tap tap.

"Okay. Um..can I ask which McClain you are?"

There's a long pause and Keith's sure he's angered Lance and he's about to be meeting the spirit.

Two taps.

"You don't seem like a child's spirit so maybe not Nadia or Silvio. Rachel?"

One tap.

"Marco or Luis?"

One tap.

"Veronica or Camilla?"

One tap.

"Lance?"

Two taps.

"I won't read about you then, I'll wait until you're ready for me to know." Keith smiles, shutting his phone off.

Lance nods even though Keith can't see him. Keith yawns, rubbing at his eyes.

"Alright...I'm gonna sleep now."

Frantic tapping.

"What?"

Taps at the stairs.

Keith furrows his eyebrows and follows them. The taps lead to Lance's room.

The door creaks open by itself and Keith takes a hesitant step inside.

"Are you sure?"

Two taps.

"Okay... um, let me get new sheets and a blanket. I can't sleep on sheets that havent been changed in God knows how many years." Keith mutters, heading back downstairs.

He goes through a box labeled 'Keith's shit.' He finds his sheets and grabs his blanket from the couch. He pads back up the stairs and strips the bed of its dusty sheets and pillows.

He dresses it back in new sheets, pillows, and blanket.

"Thank you, Lance." Keith mutters before he falls asleep.

Lance taps as if to say "you're welcome"

Lance then floats around the house, stopping in the living room to stare at where he and his family were sat tied up.

_This sucks. _


	4. Chapter 4

Keith found himself in the house except it looked different. He looks down at his hands and finds they arent his own, the skin much too dark.

"Lancito, mijo! Get up, your abuela will be here soon!" A female's voice calls out, sharp knocks at the door.

Keith knew he was dreaming, he could feel it. He didnt understand why he was dreaming as Lance though.

As he walks to the door, the walls fall down around him and he's suddenly got his head shoved in a bathtub. He screams but it comes out as a female's voice.

He struggles against the body holding him down, lungs burning and aching for air. His vision blurs and he's suddenly being dragged across the floor.

Theres so much fear inside of him, hes sobbing and choking on the tears. Why cant he just wake up already?

His back slams into the stairs and arches in pain. His whole body spasming and shaking from the pain and fear.

He wakes up being shaken, Shiro standing above him.

"-eith. Keith! Are you okay?"

Keith is covered in a cold sweat, tears flowing down his cheeks.

"I- I-" he stutters, hes at a loss for words.

"Talk to me, come on." Shiro whispers, taking a seat on the bed, fingers running through Keith's hair.

"I- I can't- I-" Keith sobs, fingers digging into the sheets.

"Was it about your dad?"

"No. I wasnt even me- I-" Keith curls in on himself as another sob rips it's way up his throat.

He had never felt so afraid in his life. Is that how Lance felt? All that pain? That fear?

"I- I want to be alone." Keith whispers, shaking against Shiro.

"I can't leave you like this Keith."

"Please."

He sounds so broken. He's never heard himself like this before. He needed to talk to Lance.

Lance had been watching when Keith was dreaming. He couldnt wake him up, he really had tried. He's still in the room with Shiro and Keith, watching the two talk.

"Promise you'll be okay?"

He wondered if the two were together.

"Yes, Shiro. I'll be fine." Keith swallows the lump in his throat.

"Alright...I'll be up if you need me." Shiro smiles, ruffling Keith's hair.

Shiro then exits the room, closing the door behind him. Keith lets out a shaky breath and lets the tears fall.

Lance summons a bit of energy, tapping against his desk.

"Lance?"

Lance hisses as the sound of Keith's voice, it was so broken and full of hurt. Of fear.

Lance taps again, taking a seat on the wooden surface.

"How- how long have you been in here?" Keith clears his throat.

Lance groans, why couldn't he just talk?

"Right..."

_Yeah believe me _ _I_ _ know_

Lance laughs to himself.

"I was dreaming about you- er- I _was _you..and someone else. A female."

_Veronica? Mami? Nadi?_

"At first it was your mom telling you your "abuela" would be here soon. And then the walls kinda just vanished."

Lance taps to signify that he's still listening.

"And- and then I was being drowned- not me but a girl."

_Vero..._

"Was that your mom?"

_Tap_

"Veronica?" Keith asks, his voice shakes with the name.

_Tap tap_

"I'm sorry, Lance..."

Lance paces, the floorboards creaking with each step.

"And then- I was you again. And I was thrown down the stairs. I could- I felt it Lance. I felt that _pain _all that _fear. _I am so sorry." Keith chokes, shuddering at the memory.

The light flickers on and then off, Lance was buzzing with energy. God he wanted to scream. He wished he could convey to Keith what he needed.

"Should I- should I read the article?"

Two sharp taps.

Keith shakes as he grabs his phone. He pulls the article up and looks at it through bleary eyes.

"Veronica McClain, aged 23, was found with lacerations around her wrists, ankles, and throat. Cause of death was drowning."

A book on Lance's desk shakes, he wanted to throw it. To destroy everything. He wanted who hurt his family to feel what he felt.

"I want to help you."

Lance scoffs, help him? _Help? _Him?  
Yeah right.

"I could get the records from the library and the police station- I- I could help you move on."

"I could help you see your family again."

Lance's heart, well metaphorical heart, aches at that. Of course he wanted to see his mami and papi again. His brothers and sisters. His niece and nephew.

But the cops couldnt even solve it. Let alone get half of it right. How could Keith?

How could anyone help him?

"Let me help you, Lance."

Lance looks at his translucent hands, his chipped fingernails. He clenches his fists and taps once.

Its silent for the rest of the night. Keith falls back asleep with Kosmo at his feet. And Lance drifts back to the mid-realm.

His eyes drifts close and he floats.

He dreams again.

This time is Marco who dies.

He's beat senseless with brass knuckles and a bat. His skull is so battered, his eye is hanging. Blood pours out of his mouth in a steady stream.

"Papi!" Nadia and Silvio cry. They scream, they wail.

And the beating keeps on even though Marco is brain dead. He's laying there garbling in his own blood, gasping like a fish out of water. He's whispering nonsense to his kids and he's shaking.

Lance wakes up when the bat hits Nadia. He screams and screams, but nobody hears him. He shakes and he begs. He could feel everything. Every hit that those horrible people dealt to Marco.

Every bone cracking.

He could feel everything.

He lays in a pile on the floor, gasping and crying. He claws at the indentations in the floorboards. Begging and crying as he relives each moment, each death.

He wanted this to be over with.

He'd tell Keith to help him some how.

One way or another he was going to get revenge.

Even if he dies again. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed leave kudos or a comment! Leave suggestions if you'd like <3 I'm always open to some constructive criticism!


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